Sherpur (Bogura) Correspondent

Vast fields of Sherpur Upazila in Bogura are covered with yellow mustard flowers. A beautiful sight of yellow across the field. Mustard cultivation has increased this year compared to last year.

On Saturday (January 4) different areas of the upazila can be seen, mustard has been cultivated in almost all the areas including Shalfa, Shubli, Boalkandi, Chaubaria, Shailapara, Nalbaria, Ghazaria, Talpukuria of Khanpur Union. Farmers are cultivating mustard in several villages of ten unions, including Jhanjhar, Naldingipara, Bilanthar, Ghordaur, Magurar Tair, Khamarkandi, Shubhagacha Husnabad, Boalmari, Pargerbari, Phulbari, Kafura, Ranbirbala of Garidah union. Nature is decorated in yellow. Bees, butterflies are also running in endless flowers.

Their play made the nature more charming. The birds of the night owls and the flocks of jackals added a new dimension. Not only that, yellow attracts nature lovers of all ages, from children, young women. Many are busy taking pictures of each other.

Due to the development of new varieties in the last few years, the yield of this crop has increased more than before. It takes less time, the cost is less, because of this mustard cultivation is increasing day by day in different parts of the upazila. Talking to Saiful Islam, a mustard farmer of Magurgari village, it is known that the yield of the invented mustard varieties of Bari, Tori and Bina is higher than the conventional indigenous mustard. Due to this, farmers are also interested in mustard cultivation. Thus, if cultivation increases, the import of edible oil will decrease. Moreover, farmers are keen to earn extra income by cultivating mustard in three crops without leaving the land in the middle of Aman and Boro seasons.

About 7-8 maunds of mustard are produced in one bigha of land. It costs 1500 to 2000 taka to cultivate mustard in one bigha of land. And sold for about 11 thousand to 12 thousand taka. In Sherpur upazila of Bogra, the target for mustard cultivation in the current season was 3,700 hectares, of which 2,680 hectares have been acquired. The production target has been fixed at 5,365 metric ton. The agriculture department is expecting that the production will be more than the target this time.

To motivate the farmers, mustard seeds and fertilizer incentives have been given by the Bangladesh Agriculture Department. Also, monitoring and advice is being given by the Agriculture Office, said the Upazila Agriculture Officer.